Our Day at Six Flags
The kids got free tickets to Six Flags from school (recorded 6 hours of reading in 6 weeks - not a tough act for my readers), so they were aching to go to Six Flags all summer. And D had a free ticket from taking his class to Physics day at the park in the Spring. M wanted to go as soon as school let out - end of May, but the tickets weren't good until mid-June. And by then we were in the middle of swim team season - 2 meets per week. We couldn't go on meet nights and I was too frazzled to want to go the morning after a meet - and besides, there's the whole summer to think about going.... And then we were getting ready for vacation. We planned to go one day, but then I remembered that A had a dr's appt that day - and one that was a necessity for him to go to camp. So then we went on vacation and D and I agreed that it would NOT be a good idea to go to Six Flags the day after flying home. So then A was a camp - can't go without him - as soon as A came back from camp, D has to go back to pre-planning. OK, so maybe we'll go on a Sunday, I've heard its not too crowded then. Big oops - it seems D's ticket was only good Mon-Fri. Well, then, looked like I would take them by myself.
We've always done Six Flags as a family trip. We all enjoy it and having 2 adults makes it easier to each pair up with a kid on rides - and to separate fractious younguns. I was a wee bit nervous about bickering kids at the park. So, I read them the riot act on the way to the park. Things like -
if you fight or don't listen, we will leave the line for a ride.
Or if one of you is misbehaving because they don't want to ride X ride, you will wait in line with us, but not ride.
If things get out of hand, we will leave the park.
If only one is misbehaving, we will leave, but the misbehavor will also lose computer priviledges - for an uncertain duration.
It evidently worked. They were both quite well behaved. I only had to give warnings 2 times, once to both kids and once to M.
We went on Goliath first. A was very good-natured all day about waiting in lines for rides he didn't want to ride - and then holding onto our water bottle, map and my hat. M and I rode Goliath once, then M wanted to ride again - but this time I waited with A. Both times had barely any line - I think we waited for about 3 trains.
Next we went to Thunder River. Got right on. And got soaked! Absolutely completely soaked, as in not a dry inch of me. You may not be able to see it here, but M and A are also drenched.
This is from the 2nd time we rode Thunder River - after all, we were already soaked, why not ride it again??
Around 11, we headed over to the bumper cars. They are one of the favorites for all of us - and they get really crowded later on (but for some strange reason, don't seem to operate until almost an hour after the park opens). We rode 3 times, each time waiting for only one ride cycle.
Next on to the Scream Machine. I don't like this one as much as I used to - it whipped my head around too much. I hope I'll remember this next year and give it a pass. It's the biggest coaster that A will ride, though.
Next up was Skull Island.
It's a large water park within Six Flags - about 5 slides, lots of water toys, etc. No pool area, though. Extremely chlorinated water! I sat in the shade while the kids played for a while.
I saw a group of elementary aged kids from a camp there at Skull Island and was amazed that they would be able to corral about 30 kids all at the same time when they needed to leave. I had a hard time finding my TWO kids both at the same time. I really think they need a big horn blast once an hour so you can tell the kids, "time to come find me when the horn blows".
After lunch we went to ride the Mindbender. It's one of my favorite rides - a triple loop (well, 2 real loops and one that is more like a corkscrew). It's a "gentler" loop than Ninja, which M also rode (for the first time). In both cases, the wait was minimal. We got on the very next train on Ninja and on the 3rd train on Mindbender. The only time I've ever had such short wait times at Six Flags was when I was a kid and we went with school, before summer vacation started.
Then on to the Swings. We rode twice - the second time we experience a "ride malfunction". It all went fine until the very end, when we were left suspended about 6-8 feet off the ground for almost 5 minutes. Not particularly scary, but didn't really make me want to ride it again.
We saw the Justice League. And even got pictures with them.
We tried to track down Green Lantern for a photo, but couldn't. I did get a photo of him later in a little parade, but it's not a great shot.
Then it was back to Skull Island for some more water play. Everything was going wonderfully, until A managed to scrape up his foot. He doesn't know quite how it happened, but we had to track down a park employee to get a bandage. A's foot was really bothering him so it was obviously time to leave (that and it was also 5pm). I ended up piggy-backing A through much of the park - of course we were on the far side of the park when he got hurt! We took the sky-tram across the park to cut the walking - helped a lot. A did walk some, but it obviously hurt him.
All-in-all a great day. We all wished D could have been there, including D. We'll have to plan earlier next year. And, today, A's foot is much improved - almost back to normal.
We've always done Six Flags as a family trip. We all enjoy it and having 2 adults makes it easier to each pair up with a kid on rides - and to separate fractious younguns. I was a wee bit nervous about bickering kids at the park. So, I read them the riot act on the way to the park. Things like -
if you fight or don't listen, we will leave the line for a ride.
Or if one of you is misbehaving because they don't want to ride X ride, you will wait in line with us, but not ride.
If things get out of hand, we will leave the park.
If only one is misbehaving, we will leave, but the misbehavor will also lose computer priviledges - for an uncertain duration.
It evidently worked. They were both quite well behaved. I only had to give warnings 2 times, once to both kids and once to M.
We went on Goliath first. A was very good-natured all day about waiting in lines for rides he didn't want to ride - and then holding onto our water bottle, map and my hat. M and I rode Goliath once, then M wanted to ride again - but this time I waited with A. Both times had barely any line - I think we waited for about 3 trains.
Next we went to Thunder River. Got right on. And got soaked! Absolutely completely soaked, as in not a dry inch of me. You may not be able to see it here, but M and A are also drenched.
This is from the 2nd time we rode Thunder River - after all, we were already soaked, why not ride it again??
Around 11, we headed over to the bumper cars. They are one of the favorites for all of us - and they get really crowded later on (but for some strange reason, don't seem to operate until almost an hour after the park opens). We rode 3 times, each time waiting for only one ride cycle.
Next on to the Scream Machine. I don't like this one as much as I used to - it whipped my head around too much. I hope I'll remember this next year and give it a pass. It's the biggest coaster that A will ride, though.
Next up was Skull Island.
It's a large water park within Six Flags - about 5 slides, lots of water toys, etc. No pool area, though. Extremely chlorinated water! I sat in the shade while the kids played for a while.
I saw a group of elementary aged kids from a camp there at Skull Island and was amazed that they would be able to corral about 30 kids all at the same time when they needed to leave. I had a hard time finding my TWO kids both at the same time. I really think they need a big horn blast once an hour so you can tell the kids, "time to come find me when the horn blows".
After lunch we went to ride the Mindbender. It's one of my favorite rides - a triple loop (well, 2 real loops and one that is more like a corkscrew). It's a "gentler" loop than Ninja, which M also rode (for the first time). In both cases, the wait was minimal. We got on the very next train on Ninja and on the 3rd train on Mindbender. The only time I've ever had such short wait times at Six Flags was when I was a kid and we went with school, before summer vacation started.
Then on to the Swings. We rode twice - the second time we experience a "ride malfunction". It all went fine until the very end, when we were left suspended about 6-8 feet off the ground for almost 5 minutes. Not particularly scary, but didn't really make me want to ride it again.
We saw the Justice League. And even got pictures with them.
We tried to track down Green Lantern for a photo, but couldn't. I did get a photo of him later in a little parade, but it's not a great shot.
Then it was back to Skull Island for some more water play. Everything was going wonderfully, until A managed to scrape up his foot. He doesn't know quite how it happened, but we had to track down a park employee to get a bandage. A's foot was really bothering him so it was obviously time to leave (that and it was also 5pm). I ended up piggy-backing A through much of the park - of course we were on the far side of the park when he got hurt! We took the sky-tram across the park to cut the walking - helped a lot. A did walk some, but it obviously hurt him.
All-in-all a great day. We all wished D could have been there, including D. We'll have to plan earlier next year. And, today, A's foot is much improved - almost back to normal.
Labels: kids, unclassified
posted by owlfan at 9:11 PM
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